How I Long to Hear Sappho Sing
Two men on Facebook
tell that me I am wrong —
that Dylan did not deserve
his Nobel prize. After all, they say,
his lyrics ride on music. But why
must melody be split from words,
hearts from lungs — which organ owns
our oxygen? And every word of Sappho
sung — her crimson lips wrapped
around her words & crimson notes.
*
Laurel Brett is a poet, novelist, and essayist. Her novel, The Schrönger Girl, (Akashic Books) received favorable reviews, including one from the New York Times. Her essays have been published in many venues, including The Nassau Review where it was awarded the best essay prize and nominated for the Best American Essays series. Her poems have been published in Second Coming, The Ekphrastic Review, the Mid-Atlantic Review, The Westchester Review, and other venues. This year brought a Pushcart Prize nomination. Her first poetry collection, Penelope in the Car, will appear this fall of 2026 from Indolent Books.
